We had the good fortune of connecting with Tywanna Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tywanna, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
First of all, the most important factor behind my success is my faith in God. In addition, the success of my sports management brand has been heavily influenced by my ability to cultivate relationships. Some people confuse “connections” with “relationships.” When you connect with people, you simply become aware of them, what they do, and how to reach them. However, when you start and build genuine relationships, you enter a more intimate form of collaboration. As many people know, relationships are critical in the sports industry. This relationship-building skill set can mean the difference between knowing someone and someone knowing you. As a 15-year athlete business manager, I always seek to serve my professional athlete clients and sports colleagues before I require anything of them. I believe that this mindset has been the foundation of my success.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Athlete’s Nexus is a sports marketing and business management firm for athletes at all levels of sports. We advise and represent players in various non-sport affairs – such as financial management, branding, philanthropic endeavors, and media relations. We also offer consultative insight to sports organizations, collegiate student-athletes, and high school athletic programs. As a collaborative team of former athletes, we enhance our clients’ marketability and help them employ processes to facilitate their success beyond sports.

As Black women and mothers in the sports industry, we have overcome several challenges in growing our brand in a male-dominated space. Our strategy to overcome those challenges has been to over-deliver in our professionalism and the quality of our service. The most important lesson that we have learned is that our Black athletes need us! They need advocates. They need processes. They need mentors. They need guidance in figuring out how to achieve relevance and longevity. Thankfully, we understand their plight, and we are ready and willing to meet them where they are.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Dr. Niki Bray has been instrumental in my success, confidence, and creativity in the sports industry. Her relentless support and unconditional encouragement has helped me to realize my potential and boldly challenge ideals and systemic challenges that are detrimental to African American athletes. I dedicate my shoutout to my fellow athlete advocate!

Website: www.tywannasmith.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tywannadsmith/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tywanna-smith-mba/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TywannaDSmith/

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